QPR owner Fernandes backs boss Hughes

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Hughes watches his team take on West Ham United during their English Premier League soccer match at Loftus Road in London October 1, 2012. REUTERS photo

QPR's Malaysian entrepreneur owner Tony Fernandes on Tuesday backed the Hoops' manager Mark Hughes, with the club rooted to the foot of the English Premier League despite a pre-season spending spree.
 
West Ham piled on the misery for 10-man Queens Park Rangers with a 2-1 away win at Loftus Road on Monday that left their cross-London rivals stuck in their worst start to an EPL season.
 
"Mark will sort it out. Look at his record. We would have won if we didn't go down to 10," Fernandes said on Twitter.
 
The Hoops have earned just two points from six matches despite bringing in 12 players before the season got under way.
 
Former Wales and Manchester City boss Hughes took over at Loftus Road in January.
 
The Welshman is the bookmakers' favourite to become the first Premier League manager to leave his post this season, with former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp a short-odds potential replacement.
 
Asked if he was confident he would be given time to see the job through, Hughes said: "I would think so. We have had a big investment and we're looking to improve this year and we will.
 
"It is very, very early days but until we get positive results on the board then obviously everything is up for debate and a focus begins to come on the club as a whole.
 
"We just need to start winning football matches. If we do that, it goes away."